Tentering machine



1943. I M. G. HINNEKENS Y TENTERING MACHINE Filed April 30. 1942 INVENTOR, Mauric 1. Hi nnetemnx ATTORNEK Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TENTERING MACHINEv Maurice G. Hinnekens, Paterson, N. J.

Application April 30, 1942, Serial No. 441,249

1 Claim. (Cl. 265-61) This invention relates to machines, commonly known as tentering machines, in which cloth while travelling lengthwise is stretched transversely and in particular to that type of such machines in which a pair of chains, whose links are clips to grip the opposite margins of the cloth, are each formed endless and are arranged in a horizontal plane, one lateral of the other, and are so driven that their adjoining stretches move at the same speed and in the same direc tion, though so as somewhat to diverge as to their adjoining stretches at the entering end of the machine whereby, with theclips already gripping the cloth, to effect the stretching; each chain is in mesh with a pair of sprockets driven at the same surface speeds, one at each end of the machine and the two at one end thereof being positively rotated in reverse directions. The direct support for each chain and also the two corresponding sprockets usually comprises two circular heads, one at each end of the machine, and a pair of spaced parallel rails connecting the heads, these four parts providing an endless supporting surface or guideway on which the chain travels. See, for instance, the Lacey Patent No. 2,205,749.

A recognized fault which has always characterized the operation of these machines is that sooner or later the clips begin to act to skew the cloth, that is to say, despite the exercise of perfect care and skill in the forming of the sprockets and the clips of the chain so that the sprockets will be perfect counterparts of each other in form, dimensions and durability and so that the clips will also be perfect counterparts of each other in these respects and in weight and weight-distribution, and also so that the guideways will be perfect counterparts of each other in the same pertinent respects. The machine may be organized at the outset so that any two clips directly coactive at any time to stretch the cloth are precisely opposite each other, but sooner or later extension of one chain, by wear, more than the other will result in one of two such cooperating clips lagging more or less behind the other, producing the mentioned skewing of the cloth. Why this fault has existed appears not to have been known, nor have I been able myself to account for it. Nevertheless, in

accordance with the present invention I have succeeded in overcoming it, that is to say, in producing a tentering machine of the class indicated in which there is no longer any definite disposition of the machine to cause skewing of the cloth, so long, of course, as the usual care is had in constructing the machine and assembling and maintaining its various parts in proper state.

Thus I have observed that the skewing has been at an angle acute with reference invariably to one margin of the cloth, indicating that for some reason wear affects the chain adjacent the other margin and hence makes is susceptible of elongation more than it does the other chain; Heretofore the two chains have been so constructed that either chain could be used at either side of the cloth. That is to say, all the links of both chains and hence the chains themselves have heretofore been exact counterparts of each other in the sense that either chain could be operatively positioned in the machine in the place of the other. But, since the two terminals of any link are not alike, one being a fork and theother a lug (so that the fork and lug of adjoining links could interfit and be connected by a pivot pin), the mentioned identity in form of the two chains means that as to their inner or cloth-gripping stretches the fork terminals of the one such stretch and the lug terminals of the other stretch would lead when thechains were being advanced in the tentering operation. This, for some unknown reason, involved wear of the links of one chain at their articulating points, with consequently the greater elongation of such chain, more than those of the other. As the machine is constructed in accordance with this invention the links of the two chains and hence the chains themselves are not counterparts of each other in the indicated sense, but reverse counterparts, one being right-hand and the other left-handed. That is, if the links of one chain have their forked terminals leading when both chains are cooperatively advanced, the same is true of the links of the other chain.

This I illustrate in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a schematic plan of the chains and such other parts of the machine as are here material;

Figs. 2 and 3 are an inner side and an end View, respectively, of one of the clips of the lefthand chain; and

Fig. 4 is an end view showing the two guideways and clips of the two chains.

I designates the heads and 2 the pairs of rails forming parts of the fixed structure of the machine, each pair of rails rigidly connecting a head at the left-hand or entering end with a head at the other end of the machine to form a continuous guideway; the inner stretches of the chains and th inner parts of the guideways diverge at the entering end of the machine, as us ual, being thereafter parallel. Journaled in the heads are the sprockets 3 to mesh with the chains, those at the delivery end being adapted to be driven positively so that the inner stretches of the chains will travel to the right. Rotative in unison and concentric with each sprocket is a circular opener 4 to cause opening of the pivoted jaws of the clips of the chains when each clip about begins and about ends its travel to the right, to wit, soas to receive the cloth-margin in the first instance and release it in the second.

Except as will be noted, each link-forming clip of the two chains has the usual construction, to wit: It is formed with an elongated base 5 and has a cloth-gripping plate 6 on its top surface and, upstanding from such surface and overhanging the plate, a pair of arms 1 in which is pivoted on an axis lengthwise of the chain the usual jaw 8 to coact with the plate, the jaw having an upstanding arm 8a to be engaged by the mentioned openers and being normally urged by gravity to the depressed position shown. Depending from the base is an integral elongated portion 9 parallel with the axis of the jaw and which slides on the guideway and havin a hole 9a to receive a tooth of either sprocket with which the chain, of which. such clip forms a part, meshes, and also having at one terminal (viewing the clip in side elevation) a fork 9b and at the other a lug 9c; the lug of one clip is to be received in the fork of the next adjoining clip, they to be connected by a vertical pin l0 forming one of the pivots of the chain. All the clips of either chain are substantial counterparts of each other.

But according to this invention, and as shown by Fig. 4, the clips of the two chains are of different hands. That is to say, whereas the clips of the right-hand chain have their forks all leading in respect to the direction of rotation of that chain, those of the left-hand chain also have their forks all leading in the same relative respect. In other words, the clips of the two chains, and hence the chains themselves, are reverse counterparts of each other.

This means in practice that, Whatever the reason for Wear of the chains tending to cause them to increase in length, such wear occurs equally, or substantially so, as to both chains, with whatever incidental increases in length they undergo also equal, wherefore the mentioned skewing is avoided provided, of course and as usual, each chain as a Whole and the sprockets are so adjusted in the first instance and maintained adjusted that any clip of one chain is precisely opposite the corresponding clip of the other chain.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

A tentering machine including a pair of fixed elongated side-by-side guideways both formed endless and arranged in a substantially horizontal plane, endless chains supported substantially continuously by the respective guideways, and means, around which the chains extend, to ad Vance them circuitously of themselves in relatively reverse directions, each chain including cloth-gripping clips of which any two adjoining clips have, as viewed in side elevation, the one a fork-forming terminal and the other a lug-forming terminal received by such fork-forming terminal and pivoted thereto on a vertical axis, the clips of the two chains having their like terminals projecting in the respective directons of advance of the chains and all the clips being otherwise substantial counterparts of each other.

MAURICE G. I-IINNEKENS. 

